Primary Care Perspectives

Drowning remains one of the leading causes of death for children. In this episode, Drs. Rotherham and Stafford explain the “layers of protection” concept, including swim lesson timing, effective home pool safety measures, and the risks of floatation devices versus life jackets. We also clarify terms like “dry drowning” and dispel myths around water safety. This episode includes key water safety me...

The coauthors of a new study in the journal Pediatrics titled “Black Teenage Male and Caregiver Perspectives on Anticipatory Guidance for Police Encounters” , join Katie Lockwood, MD, MEd, in this episode to discuss how pediatricians can help prepare Black youth to safely navigate police interactions. We address the challenges and importance of conversations about racism, especially for racially n...

In this episode, Haley Pearlstein, MD , a CHOP gastroenterologist, discusses cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) , a pediatric condition marked by recurrent severe nausea and vomiting episodes separated by symptom-free intervals, with a prevalence of up to 3.2% in children. We cover typical presentation in primary care, NASPGHAN guidelines , differential diagnoses including CNS tumors, and diagnostic w...

In Philadelphia, a 2007 Board of Health regulation allows capable adolescents ages 11–18 to self-consent to vaccines that prevent reportable diseases, recognizing that teen vaccine coverage remains suboptimal in part due to access barriers and inconsistent uptake when decisions rest solely with parents. This episode explores how that policy works in practice and what it means for autonomy, equity,...

81% of food allergy parents report significant worry about their child. We know that food allergies and anxiety are both common childhood diagnoses, but in this episode we explore the correlation and how we as pediatricians can help recognize when is this anxiety helpful and when is this anxiety unhelpful? In this episode, learn from Tamara Hubbard, MA, LCPC, a licensed clinical professional couns...

Transition of care from pediatric to adult medicine is sometimes a stressful process, but adolescents with autism and intellectual disabilities have additional considerations and steps that should be taken to make this transition optimal. In this episode, Stacy Ellen, DO, Karin Roseman, LCSW, and Mary Stephens, MD, MPH, from St. Christopher's Hospital for Children tell us about their medical home...

Why does autism spectrum disorder attract so many myths? In this episode, Kate Wallis, MD, MPH , a developmental behavioral pediatrician, explains why there are so many questions about autism and gives us some expert answers and advice. We discuss acetaminophen, leucovorin, assisted communication, vaccines, and more!   #AutismAcceptanceMonth 

Contraception counseling is an important part of comprehensive primary care for adolescents. The past decades have drastically changed the landscape of available contraception options. However, with so many options, contraception counseling can seem overwhelming. In this episode, Gladyne Confident, M.D. , an attending in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a...

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, is common, but it is rare that a food allergy causes atopic dermatitis. In this episode, CHOP allergist Katie Kennedy, MD , explains that only about 25% of children with severe atopic dermatitis have flares driven by foods. She also discusses the pitfalls of allergy testing, approaches to identifying food triggers, and when to refer to an allergist.  Dr. Kennedy talks...

There is a lot of information online about vaccines-- some good, some bad. This means that patients are coming to their primary care providers with more vaccine questions. In this episode, Lori Handy, MD, MSCE , and Charlotte Moser, MS , from the CHOP Vaccine Education Center discuss communication skills that clinicians can use in discussing vaccines with patients and families to provide clarity,...

In this episode, pediatric residents, Drs. Frances Avila-Soto and Michelle Rose, discuss the challenges immigrant families face while seeking healthcare. They also discuss how access to healthcare has been impacted by recent policy changes, what to do when ICE presents to a clinical space, and how pediatricians are uniquely equipped to advocate for immigrant patients. They hope that this episode l...

Did you know that in the early 1900’s, a dentist figured out that people who had high levels of fluoride naturally occurring in their water supply had very low rates of tooth decay? This led to further research and ultimately community-wide fluoridation programs. Today, many places have fluoride in the water, toothpaste, and applied topically by the dentist or pediatrician. In this episode, we tal...

Many people do not know the difference between the terms deaf, Deaf, and Hard of Hearing, so in this episode we discuss the diverse landscape of hearing loss.  Michael Hoffman, PhD and Matthew E. Fasano-McCarron, PsyD , discuss why some comorbidities may be more common in patients with hearing loss and some of the challenges in making diagnoses of comorbidities such as autism, ADHD, and intellectu...

Pediatric residents, Drs. Kelly McNult and Colleen Lynch , explain how they created an advocacy project related to bike helmets inspired by their personal experiences with patients and the loss of a colleague, Dr. Barbara Friedes . In this episode they not only explore how to execute an advocacy project as a resident but also teach us more about the effectiveness of bike helmets, how to ensure hel...

In the early 2000’s pediatricians recommended delaying the introduction of highly allergenic foods, like peanut, but we saw that the rates of peanut allergy continued to rise. However, the 2015 LEAP trial showed that early introduction was better. In fact, the LEAP trial found an 81% decrease in peanut allergies by age 5 in children who had an early introduction. In this episode, Stanislaw J. Gabr...

In this episode, Andrew Cohen, DMD, who is board certified in dental sleep medicine and a comprehensive restorative dentist, explains how anatomy, behavior, and overall health impacts sleep-related breathing. We discuss common issues like mouth-breathing, teeth grinding, thumb-sucking, and extended pacifier use and how these impact dental health and sleep. For more information, visit the CHOP Slee...

We learned a lot about pediatric asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic, including how significant the impact of viruses is on causing asthma flares. In this episode, Shikha Saxena, MD , from our Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Division of Pulmonary Medicine , Pulmonary Asthma Program , and Pulmonology and Allergy Personalized Asthma (PAPA) Clinic , discusses ways to help keep asthma in good cont...

Can you reduce the risk of concussion through specialized protective equipment? In this episode, two of our Minds Matter Concussion Program experts, Kristy Arbogast, PhD , and Christina Master, MD, FAAP, CAQSM, FACSM, FAMSSM , discuss whether the specialized equipment used by NFL players has evidence in pediatric athletes. We also learn other ways that parents, coaches, and trainers can mitigate c...

Imagine intentionally eating an allergen to re-teach your immune system to overcome this allergy? That's what our CHOP Allergists are doing in the Oral Immunotherapy Program and it is life changing science in practice! In this episode, Antonella Cianferoni, MD, PhD , explains oral immunotherapy including the immunologic process, the logistics for patients, and managing the risk of anaphylaxis. A g...

Less well known that SIDS, SUDC is a category of death for a child 12 months of age or older that remains unexplained after a thorough investigation. In this episode,  Richard Goldstein, MD , Director of the Roberts Program on Sudden Unexplained Death in Pediatrics and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, teaches us more about SUDC including possible causes, how to navigate...

A special surprise guest joins us for the 200th episode anniversary! In this episode we explore why CHOP started a medical education podcast, how topics/guests are chosen, and what impact the podcast has had on listeners. Get behind-the-scenes with host and creator, Katie Lockwood, MD, MEd , and learn about the important role of podcasting in medical education. 

This year the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Poison Control Center celebrates it's 40th anniversary! In this episode, Fred Henretig, MD , one of the founders of the Poison Control Center reviews the history of how the Center came to be and it's role in keeping children safe and healthy in 2025. Robert Bassett, DO , teaches us about how the Poison Control Center operates and what the mo...

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness that can have serious complications. In this episode, Lori Handy, MD, MSCE , an attending in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Associate Director of the Vaccine Education Center at CHOP, explains the symptoms of dengue, why the vaccine is uncommonly used, and how to manage fever in a returning traveler. With half of the world's population living...

Marijuana use by teens has been stable over the past few decades with 1 in 5 high schoolers using marijuana regularly. However, THC levels in marijuana have increased and we are seeing more Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS). In this episode, Adam Kronish, MD , explains current trends in marijuana use, the physiology of CHS, and what we can do in primary care to identify and manage this condition...

Delivering serious news is unfortunately a part of pediatrics. While some believe that we are inherently either good or bad at this skill, we know that is not true and that you can learn how to do this well. In this episode, Julie W. Stern, MD , the Director of Outreach Services with the Division of Oncology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, shares best practices and lessons learned from yea...